Rayna James' future on the upcoming Nashville season is looking very bleak.

In May this we found out that the show wasn’t renewed for a fifth season on ABC. Then in June we found out that CMT would renew the show on their channel, and on Monday we found out that Nashville would be back on our screens in January. The fifth of January, to be precise.

All was right in the world.

The country music gods had spoken.

But now it seems that Rayna James, played by Connie Britton, owner of Connie Britton’s hair, may only be returning to the season for 10 episodes.

Yep, 10 short episodes.

And there are 22 in the series.

WHAT?

According to EW, Britton only plans on sticking around for 10 episodes. While Hayden Panettiere, who plays Juliette Barnes, has signed on for the whole thing.

Perhaps she'll be assassinated on stage. Or maybe she will be killed by Deacon in a drunken stupor who will then spend the rest of his life in the same jail as Rayna's ex husband Teddy. Or maybe, she'll just go on tour.

But that seems a little boring.

Only time will tell, we suppose.

In the meantime, we can listen to Scarlett Clare Bowen tell us what Britton is like in real life: